Ventilator



s. C. BURT.

VENTILATOR Filed March 29, 1926 Patented Feb. 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT .IY'OFFIC'E.

srnnnv c. near,- or CHICAGO, ILLmoIs.

vnnrinetroa.

Application filed March 29, 1926. Serial No. 88,209. I

ter and which may be positioned in an outof-the-way or normally nonvisible art of the car or automobile to avoid the o jection of an unsightly appearance. Another object is .toprovide a form of ventilator according to which air may be caused to enter the compartment or to be drawn out therefrom through the ventilator, the latter function being a feature of advantage in removing smoke-laden, or foul air. It is also an object to provide a ventilator which may be made and installed chea ly and which, when applied in v the pre erred .location, namely below the floor of the vehicle and not readily to be observed, may be of such a'considerable size as to provide the desired ventilation where the hollow interior-tobe supplied is of considerable volume. For instance, the large hollow interior of a motor bus may be ventilated by'a single unit according to the present improvements embodied in a size suitable for the pur ose, which size is rendered passable and wit out I objection through the location of the device where it is not seen from the street. y

In the drawings Figure 1' is a fragmentary side'view of a motor car of an enclosed type having parts broken away to show-the present improvements installed in a preferred general location; Fig. 2 is a medial vertical longitudinal section through the form of ventilator shown in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale as viewed in the opposite direction; and Fig. 3 isa sectional and end view. on the broken line 3- 3 of Fig. 2;

My improved ventilator is formed almost.

entirely of thin sheet metal, for instance galvanized iron. Beginning at the right-- hand, end of Fig. 2,-namely at the air intake, the intake member comprises first a cylindrical: tube 9 open at the free end to provide a substantially large intake opening 10, the ring merging into a conioally tapering section '11 which terminates in a short tubular nozzle 12 shown as being slightlyflaring toward its free and open.

discharge end 13. This somewhat funnel like structure comprising .the parts 9, 11 and 12 is supported at the normally front end by'a circular plate 14 open centrally to receive the/air-intake member, the ring 14 and the parts 911 being rigidly secured to gether, as by soldering or any other approved means.

The air-intake member parts 11-12 extend into the hollow interior of a substan-.

tially large hollow body comprising first a conically-tapered part 16 which at its top portion merges into averticalwall17 spaced from'the front vertical wall 14 to form an air discharge channel 18 of rectangular shape leading through the floor-board 19 and opening into the hollow interior of the car.

-Extending from the inwardly-tapering outer, member 16 is the outwardly-flaring part '20 of the housing or body member, and extending rearward from the'member 20 is a cylindrical part 21.

. The air-intake member 9 11 1 2 is i shown as bein further supportedby three and the air-intake mem er is rigidly held in spaced relation as shown so as ,to occupy a centrally-directed or: substantially axial 9 o,

'osition with respect to the. main body memvrods 23 secure to it and to the outer shell p or body-member 20. The outer body members and parts are all ri id with each other 1 A butterfly valve 24'at the intake openin may be operated in 'anyap roved way. have shown simple means or the purpose comprising a lever 25 connected to a'push and-plull rod 26 extending through the floor-' boar and having a 'knob 27. A similar butterfly valve30 at the free end of the body, member 21 may similarly be. opened and closed'by'means of a lever 31 and a pushahd-pull rod 32 having the knob 33. The

device as a whole maybe held to the floorboard by means of severalcleats 35 (Figs. 1 and 3 The operation of the device to introduce air into the passenger compartment is as follows: The valve 2 1 at the intake is opened and the valve is closed. The forward motion of the car developing air pressure at the intake causes air to enter the opening 9. For a passengerautomobile of the coupe or sedan type a diameter of say four inches for the opening 9 will be sufficient. The velocity of the air within the cylindrical part 9 is increasedsomewhat by the narrowing wall 11. Such increase of velocity has a functional effect.

The air entering the device contains dust and dirt from the road which it is desired to separate out. Such separation occurs first through the fact that the air discharged from the opening at 13 enters a relatively large compartment and the rate of movement of the air is reduced. The solid particles, however, having greater momentum than the air particles, continue to move ahead and strike the closed valve 30 or begin to settle upon the lower inner surfaces of the body member. A further separation then takes place through the change of direction in the air current.- As shown by the arrows indi eating the air flow, this flow is first toward the obstruction or wall 30. This obstruction and the valve 30 or close to the valve, this separation of-the solid matter takes place,

but it occurs to the greatest extent near the plate 30 where the'greatest change in the irection of the air current is had.

Passing forward, the air enters between the tubular nozzle 12 and the flaring outer wall 20 and comes to a more restricted opening 35 where its velocity is again increased, and it thence issues into a substantiall large ring-like compartment 36. The ten Q ency of the dust particles passing through the throat at 35 is to continue forward and strike 'the front Wall 14, for the air current here changesits direction from say horizontal to vertical so as to charge 0 ening 18;

What. consider to be the more important issue through the disfunctional principles involved in the operation of the device are the temporary slowing down ofthe air movement at one or more places in the course of travel whereby dust particles may more readily pass out of the air current and into contact with a wall of the structure, the changing of the direction bulk of the dust in the main smaller change occurs at the throat 35, and

that another abrupt change in the direction occurs when the current strikes the end wall 14. The current flowing toward the throat 35 meets a conical Wall formation in the plate 11 andthe outer wall 20,which also receive deposits ofdust and dirt, andthe slanting formation of the wall 20 has the further function of forming a pocket or relatively low portion at the'bottom defined by the dotted line 37 in Fig. 2 adapted to hold aquantity of collected dust. Ordinar- 'ily, however, the dust does not collect up to the line 37, but fills the corner portions at the valve .30, although a goodly amount collects on the lower inner surface of the body.

It is contemplated that the device will be cleaned from time to time to prevent undue filling thereof.-

- At 40'(Figs. 2 and 3) I'have provided a small swinging closure adapted to cover the opening 41 through which a cleaning instrument may be ,applied to remove collected dirt from the lower portion of the chamber 36. This opening also serves to drain that compartment when the valve 30 is opened and the device as a whole is cleaned by directing a water hose into it. By openingvthc valve 30 to cause .a stream of air to pass directly through the body member the greater portion thereof is carried away. 4

By dotted lines I have shown an air heater 42, which may be of the type using some of the engine exhaust and around the coils of which the air from the passageway 18 passes.

When it is desired to-ventilate by with- 1 drawing air from the passenger compartmentof'the vehicle through the device it is only necessary to open the valve 30, as by pulling up the knob 33. A stream of air is therefore caused to pass through both the inner and outer tubular members tending to entrainair fromabout the nozzle .12, and

tending to produce a partial vacuum which draws air, downward through the passageway 18. This feature is of importance in instances where the compartment contains impure air which it is desired to remove, as for instance in crowded busses or in street or railway cars. Vith means for withdrawing air the desired circulation is had through the fact that there is always a considerable seepage of airthrough various openings in the body of a car, around windows and doors, etc. Very little air enters at these casual openings or crevices under ordinary conditions on account of the cushioning effect of the body of air'within the hollow interior,but outer air enters freely at such openings when a suflicient withdrawal of inner air takes place. I

Another particular advantage of this reversal of the ventilation stream is in such, instances as where the automobile may be forced to follow closely another automobile discharging noxious gases of combustion close to the ground and which would: find objectionable entrance into the passenger compartment if the device were operated in the direct way; Such instances are of more rare occurrence, but'are thus readily provided for, as by a mere lifting up of 'the knob 33. As mentioned, too, the main dustcollecting. portion of the device may be cleaned of accumulated dust by reversing the operation fromtime to time.

By operating the knob 27 the supply of intake air is controlled. In cold weather the ventilation air called for is usually less than in warm weather, unless the incoming air is suitably warmed, as by the heater 42. Fur-. thermore, since the air inflow will depend upon the rate of travel, the valve 24 may be operated to reduce the intake when the machine is traveling at a relatively high rate through long stretches, as in touring.

Apart fromthe dust-separating feature the present improvements constitute a simple, relatively cheap and highly advantageous form of ventilation useful on all such vehicles. v

Icontemplate as being included in the improvements thus specifically illustrated and described all such changes, variations, de-.

partures and modifications therefrom as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: a

1. In a dust-separating ventilator of the character described, the combination *of a hollow body having an air deflector therein, hollow airintake means having anintake opening and a discharge opening for introducing a streamof air into the body so as to be directed against said deflector, the defl ector being adapted and arranged to cause the air current to spread radially outward,

the hollow body being formed to direct such spread current to flow back and around the intake. air stream, with air discharge means opening into the body at a materiall eat distance from said deflector to provi e or a materially long travel of dust-laden air with a slowed'movement from the deflector to the discharge means.

2.-The combination of claim l'hereof in which said deflector is a valve operable to open the end of said hollow body.

.solid the discharge opening, the discharge opening being-at a materially great distance from 3. The combination of claim 1 hereof in which there is also a valve for regulating the flow of air through the intake means.

'4. The combination of claim 1 hereof in which there is a constricted passageway intermediate the discharge opening and the deflector, and in which there is an enlarged body formation adjacent to said constricted passageway providing an enlar ed air space of the hollow interior into w ich the air passes from said constricted passa eway, the

discharge means opening into sai enlarged formation.

5. In a ventilator of the character described, the combination of an outer tubular member having a closure at one end, an

.inner tubular member extending into the charge opening for air in the outer member adjacent to the end thereof occupied by the inner member and at a materially great distance from said closure to provide for a materially long travel of dust-laden air from the deflector to the discharge opening, the arrangement being such that air passing into the outer member through the inner member is deflected in a general direction back toward the entrance opening of'the inner member and thence through said discharge opening;

6. The combination of claim which said closure is a valve operable to open the end of said outer tubular member.

7. The combination of claim 5 hereof in which there is also a' valve for regulating 5 hereof in the flow of air through the innertubular member.

8. In a ventilator adapted to be positioned on a vehicle to gather air for the.

ventilation thereof, the combination 'of a hollow body having'means for introducing a column of air thereinto through the air pressure generated by the motion of the vehicle, means having a discharge opening for leading air from said body to the hollow interior of the vehicle, and meansv within said body for deflecting the air column to form a revefsely-flowing envelope of air around the intake air column to separate particles from the air before it reaches F113 deflecting means,for the purposes speciie i i 9. In a ventilator adapted to be positioned l on a vehicle to gather air for the ventilation thereof, the combination of a hollow body having means for introducing ai-r thereinto through the air pressure enerated by the the ai.r*before it reaches the discharge openmotion of the vehicle; sai body having a ing, the discharge opening being at a madischarge opening for leading air from said terially great distance from the deflecting 1 body to the hollow interior of the vehicle, means to provide a relatively long travel of 5 and deflecting means within said body for air from the deflecting means to the dischanging the direction of the air current charge opening, for the purposes specified. abruptly to separate solid particles from- SIDNEY C. BURT. 

